Warrior by Cheryl Brooks
Sourcebooks
Sci-fi/Fantasy
Full length, Hot
Review by Xeranthemum

Leo arrives on Tisana's doorstep a beaten slave from a near-extinct race with feline genes. As soon as Leo recovers his strength, he'll use his extraordinary sexual talents to bewitch Tisana and make a bolt for freedom...

She has only one chance to tame him...

Tisana, whose healing powers are legendary, already knows Leo's the one who can help her fulfill her destiny... she can't let him get away now. Forced together on a dangerous journey, Tisana must reveal all of her powers, and Leo must give all of himself to gain his freedom...

♥ ♥ ♥

Tisana is an interesting character. She is wise in the area of her expertise-- healing, but is innocent and naïve about the world beyond. She’s always wondered about life away from her humble home but she felt trapped by duty and family history and a prophetic pattern she felt powerless to change. So, she accepted with good grace her role in the community. I liked how that little spark of rebellion simmered beneath her surface. All it needed was a spark to ignite a conflagration in her soul and it came one snowy evening in the form of an almost dead man named Leo.

Leo is, for lack of a better word, yummy. He’s an alien who suffered immense tragedy and loss of a scale so encompassing, it is amazing he has a sense of humor at all. Ms. Brooks treated me to a rather unique and sexually intriguing male at the same time Tisana first got a good look at Leo’s assets as she tended him. My goodness! The heat factor exploded to a steady thrum from that point on. I wanted to see him in action and Ms. Brooks wasted no time in delivering. My favorite part about Leo is his ability to purr. The author succeeded in making that one of the most sensual and erotic weapons in Leo’s arsenal and Leo put it to good use with Tisana. Leo is also a hunky alpha and when he gets to do and act as he truly was meant to do, he inspired some wistful sighs and carnal yearnings.

My funny bone got a good workout too. Tisana has a special talent for mentally communicating with animals. Her furry menagerie included a cat with attitude, a horse that reminded me of Groucho Marx, a nut throwing squirrel, a heroic puppy and a bird that drove her nuts by talking in riddles. Ms. Brooks blended Tisana’s talent seamlessly into the plot resolution and by the end, I felt a few of the animals’ characterization complete enough to call them furry people. I liked them. There is another alpha character named Rafe. He’s the guy that used to get it on with Tisana but it didn’t work out. He is the reason for the conflict coming to Tisana’s door and I found it fascinating that a man who is all alpha ended up being a complete turn off. He was such a jerk. Oh, don’t get me wrong, he has his good points but after reading about him during their journey, I kept scratching my head. What in the world did Tisana ever see in him? That gets revealed along the way too. The great thing about their journey is not only do things get revealed but Tisana’s character evolves and she discovers strengths that she never knew she had. My view is that Leo is basically the silver lining in the dark cloud called Rafe. And Tisana is the flower that blooms to fruition from the effects of that storm. The end result is a passionate love that defied the odds and traditions.

Another point in this book’s favor is the fact that, although this is the second book in the series, not having read the first one, Slave, did not detract from my enjoying Warrior. This book stood proudly on its own with ne’er regret for missing the first. I was greatly amused by Ms. Brooks’ clever epilogue. In it I found an undeniable hook that not only guarantees my obtaining the previous book but garnered a fan for the future books in the series. Ms. Brooks masterfully combined Sci-Fi fantasy, paranormal elements, hot and sensual alien attributes and hilarity with characters that wiggled their way into my heart and dreams. My advice is to rush out and grab a Warrior of your own.